Undermining Fate
by KatieLikeLovesYou
Summary: "I know what's going to happen, what he's going to do, and I'm just sitting here, watching him walk around like he's innocent," Aria said. Sirius blinked. "If it bothers you that much, do something about it." Aria considered this, a gleam in her eye.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Two girls ran down the otherwise empty corridors, one in pursuit of the other. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange light over everything. There was the faintest whisper in the halls, and echo of the raucous celebrations taking place across the grounds as the general population of Hogwarts celebrated the end of exams. The two solitary souls remaining in the halls had other things occupying their thoughts.

The first girl, a tall blonde, had better stamina than the second, and was quickly outstripping the small brunette. The second girl was panting and slowing, but would not give up the chase, and managed to remain relatively close to her quarry. Finally the blonde girl halted in a large, unused classroom in a part of the castle that was unfamiliar to the brunette.

"I-Ivy," panted the second girl, leaning against the desk nearest to the door, "you're barking. This is insane, and I can't let you do it."

Ivy, who was not nearly as short of breath as her companion, grinned mischievously. "Aria, don't you see? I didn't find these by accident, it was meant to be! I was meant to find them, and use them. Life and magic give us the tools to help ourselves, and that's all it would be, don't you understand? This was meant to happen."

Aria shook her head, still struggling to catch her breath and barely able to hold herself up. Her exhausted muscles threatened to give way beneath her at any second, so she paused before speaking again, taking long, slow breaths. As she contemplated how best to talk her deranged friend out of her plans, she looked carefully at the two glittering objects that she had not noticed before, sitting on the professor's desk at the front of the class. The objects were more or less identical, each seeming to be a rather useless necklace, with a chain so long and thin that it would hardly be practical to wear. The pendants were ornate hourglasses enclosed in golden circles, and the only discernable difference between the two was the size; the first hourglass was tiny, while the second was rather absurdly larger.

"Ivy," Aria said slowly as her friend eyed the hourglasses hungrily. "You can't do this. You know what happens to wizards and witches that mess with time. And Ivy, you aren't just going to be messing with time, you'll be cheating! I've helped you through a lot of your work and given you answers a lot of times I shouldn't have and watched you charm answers out of others, but, Ivy, I cannot let you abuse magic as rare and volatile as time travel just to get better marks!"

Ivy's grin became less mischievous and more manic. "Aria, you don't understand. You've always been brilliant at school; you can do anything! All I've ever wanted was to be a Healer, you know that! It's all I've ever talked about since First Year! I just want to live up to my mother, and I can't do that if I can't continue on to N.E.W.T. Potions, and I'm positive I've failed my Potions O.W.L.! If I could just have another go, now that I know what I did wrong, if I could just go back to this morning and retake the exam, I'll be able to continue on and I'll be able to achieve my dream! Aria, I need to do this! It's my only hope!"

Aria shook her head. "Ivy, you can't, okay? I don't care what you think, okay, you're being insane. If you touch one of those Time Turners I'll– I'll– I'll tell McGonagall!"

Ivy rolled her eyes, a knowing smirk gracing her face. "Don't be absurd, Aria. I know you too well. Even if you don't approve, you aren't a sneak like that. You're too loyal. And I'm going to do what I have to do." She grabbed the closer Time Turner, the smaller one, and draped it around her neck. "I'll see you on the other side, Aria. Wish me luck!" And with a wink, before Aria could stop her, Ivy flicked her wand to turn the little hourglass twenty-four times. She took a deep breath, her eyes wide with crazed determination, and then slowly faded from sight as she disappeared a full day into the past.

Aria fumed for a moment, pacing angrily around the room. Ivy was right, of course; she wouldn't go to the Headmistress. But she was determined, nonetheless, to stop her closest friend from making a terrible mistake and ruining her life. She looked towards the desk at the remaining Time Turner and knew what she had to do. Quickly, before she could think it through and realize how stupid she was being, she grabbed the second, much larger Time Turner, pulled the chain around her neck, and turned the hourglass twenty-four times. The world dissolved around her as she slipped back in time.


	2. Arrival

[A/N] This is literally all I have written of this story right now. I have a lot more planned, but don't expect updates often, as it is my senior year in high school, and I have almost no free time between extracurriculars, school work, and college applications. This chapter is going up to test the waters and get a little bit of feedback on the direction it's going. Please feel free to be as critical as you like, and know that if you keep reviewing, I will keep writing, even if it seems to take so painfully long before I update that you are able to convince yourself that I died. :] -Kate

* * *

1. Arrival

Platform 9¾ was bustling with activity. Muggle parents of Muggle-born witches and wizards that were preparing for their First Year at Hogwarts were gazing stupidly at the magic teeming around them and all of the children, some of which were already dressed in black robes. Other First Years were shuffling around nervously, ignoring their parents' attempts to calm them or groom them or give them last-minute advice. There were groups of older students huddled together, greeting each other happily after a long summer apart and chatting about their holidays.

One such group stood near the back of the platform, each of the four boys talking over each other to tell what he had been up to and what his plans were for the new school year. The second tallest of the boys, with glasses and very messy black hair, stopped talking abruptly and focused his attention on a pretty redheaded girl that was near them, talking with friends of her own. The other three boys didn't take long to notice the object of his gaze, and stopped talking in turn, grinning or shaking their heads respectively.

"Good summer, Evans?" called the second tallest boy. The redhead turned to glare at him.

"Butt out, Potter," she snapped. "I haven't forgotten about last year."

The boy sputtered for a moment before regaining his composure. "What, you mean last year when Snivellus Snape called you a– a–" He couldn't quite bring himself to say what Snivellus Snape had called her, so he shuffled awkwardly before continuing. "Well, you know what he called you. I was just defending you!"

The girl's eyes narrowed. "James Potter, how can you possibly claim that you were defending me _before_ Severus called me a–" She clenched her jaw, determined to say it. "-a Mudblood? You had him strung up by his ankles long before I came over to tell you off for being a prat, so stop pretending to be gallant." She turned on her heel, grabbed the arm of the friend she'd been talking to, and led her to the far side of the platform.

"Evans!" James called after her. "Evans, I'm sorry! Lily, come back!"

The tallest boy, also black-haired, put his hand on James' shoulder. "Bad luck, mate. Maybe next time." James nodded and shook his head and shoulders, as if shaking off the experience. He ran a hand through his hair to mess it up more, and turned back to talk to his friends.

A girl with brown hair watched the events of the platform from the edge of it, her hazel eyes flickering back and forth between the group of boys and the redhead. Before the girl could interpret what she'd seen, the first train whistle blew, signaling five minutes until departure. All the students said goodbye to their parents and moved with their friends to board the scarlet steam engine. Aria vanished into the crowd.

* * *

Aria sat in a compartment in the back of the train, fidgeting nervously and flinching at every sound that was made in the corridor. She nearly jumped all the way out of her seat when the compartment door slid open and four boys piled in quickly, sniggering to themselves. They didn't notice Aria sitting in the corner until the door had been closed and several high-fives had been exchanged between them. There were several moments of silence as the four boys surveyed her, during which time Aria concentrated on regulating her breathing.

"Oy, who are you?" Sirius Black finally asked, one eyebrow arched. Remus Lupin, the only one of the four that was already in his uniform, punched his friend lightly on the shoulder, shaking his head.

"Ignore him and his tremendous tact," Remus said bitingly. "I'm Remus, and this is Sirius, James, and Peter," he said, nodding at each of his friends in turn.

"My name is Aria," she replied timidly.

"Nice to meet you," Remus responded, moving to take one of the seats across from her. His friends quickly followed suit. James and Peter sat next to Remus, leaving Sirius in the seat next to Aria. "I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look like you could possibly be a First Year, and I'm sure I've never seen you around before."

"Oh, right," Aria said, stalling for a moment as she tried desperately to remember all the details of her story. "Well, I used to attend Salem Witches' Institute in America," she said, "but my parents, and my brother-" she broke off, swallowed hard, and continued. "Anyway, now I'm going to Hogwarts." There was the appropriate amount of emotion in her voice, but if the four boys in the compartment with her had been listening for it they would have been able to tell how carefully rehearsed the words were.

"That's interesting," Remus said. Peter seemed to have overextended his curiosity and was now staring at a particular spot on the compartment wall. James was still paying attention, but was also absentmindedly messing up his hair every few minutes. Sirius and Remus remained very interested in the newcomer.

"What year are you, actually? Will you be Sorted with the First Years?" Sirius asked, encouraging her to continue her tale.

"Sixth Year," she responded. "And I've already been Sorted. Professor Dumbledore came to visit me over Holiday and brought the Sorting Hat 'round. I've been put in Gryffindor." All four boys in the compartment became excited at the news.

"Wonderful," James said enthusiastically. "The four of us are all Gryffindors, it's the best house around without a doubt!"

The compartment door flung open, revealing a gawky boy with greasy black hair and an alarming number of large, pussy boils covering his face and every other bit of exposed skin.

"Potter– I'm going– kill you–" wheezed the boy, staggering into the compartment and struggling to raise his wand.

Aria looked noticeably frightened, but the boys in the compartment looked almost bored, if not viciously so. Peter's eyes flicked from James to Sirius to Severus Snape with such frequency that his head was moving in a tiny, continuous circle. James and Sirius both lazily drew their wands, and Remus looked pointedly away.

"What's wrong, Snivelly? Can't take a little joke from your old pals?" James sneered, not bothering to rise from his seat.

"You– are – _scum_," Snape hissed.

"No, no, Snape, you're confusing us with yourself again. Really, do try and keep it straight, yeah? _We_ are the good guys. _You_ are the Death Eater scum," Sirius said, his voice teeming with hatred. Aria scooted away from him, pressing herself against the window in an attempt to hide from any errant spells.

Snape raised his wand, but James and Sirius were quicker. Three voices shouted at once, although Snape's curse was just far enough behind that it did no good. The other two curses flew from James' and Sirius' wands, propelling Severus out of the compartment.

There was a sigh of exasperation from a passerby who had witnessed the scene. The girl stuck her head in, holding up a hand to stop any comments. "No, I don't want any excuses or tales about how you were provoked, or any apologies, or for you to say anything at all, in fact. I just came to get Remus. We're due in the Prefects' compartment in a few minutes."

James opened his mouth several times to say something in response, but Remus smacked him each time he tried before the latter climbed out of the crowded compartment to join Lily Evans, who stepped over Snape's unconscious body without a glance downward.

"Well, that could have gone better, eh, Prongs?" Sirius said as Remus pulled the compartment door closed behind him.

"Stuff it, Padfoot," James said grumpily, scooting into Remus' vacated spot to brood more properly, in the corner.

"Well, sorry about that interruption, Aria," Sirius said, rolling his eyes at his best friend, and turning his attention back to the girl next too him. "Tell us more about yourself, and about Salem."

* * *

Having exhausted her ability to fabricate details about Salem Witches' Academy, Aria feigned exhaustion and pretended to nap until the food cart came around, by which time the three boys remaining in her compartment had lost interest in the story of her life. James bought two of everything, Sirius got ample amounts of Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties, and Peter, after turning out his pockets, managed to purchase a package of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans and several pieces of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Aria fingered a few of the Galleons Dumbledore had provided her with inside her pocket, but didn't make a motion to buy anything.

Sirius noticed her lack of treats and offered her a Chocolate Frog. "What, watching your girlish figure?" he asked after she refused his offering, grinning cheekily.

"No," she laughed, "just not in the mood for sweets."

"Ah, well, take it for later, then, yeah?" He shoved the Chocolate Frog into her hand, and she put it in her bag. From what she knew about Sirius Black, he would have never taken no for an answer.

"So, did you find a flat, Sirius?" Peter asked after Sirius had turned his attention away from Aria.

"Yeah, right next to Fortescue's in Diagon Alley," Sirius replied, grinning. "I moved in from the Potter's last week. Fortescue welcomed me to the neighborhood with a free sundae."

"Excellent. We'll have to spend a few days there over Christmas," James said. "Free ice cream and no parents? Sounds like a dream." Peter nodded enthusiastically, but Sirius just shrugged.

"Yeah, we'll see. Let's get through term first, yeah? Besides, we've got the week's, uh, festivities to plan," he said, waggling his eyebrows. James and Peter grinned, and Aria looked appropriately confused at the in-joke. None of the boys attempted to explain it to Aria, but she had expected that, and tried to change the subject.

"So, uh, what was the deal with that guy earlier? The one that stumbled in with all the boils?" she asked.

"Ah, Snivellus," James answered, the malignant glint back in his eye. "He's our worst enemy, of sorts. We never miss an opportunity to give him and his Death Eater friends what they deserve."

Aria attempted to raise an eyebrow in order to properly express her incredulousness. She lacked the ability to raise only one eyebrow, however, and quickly raised both so she didn't look like she was merely squinting one eye. "So you just go around hexing each other? That doesn't sound like it's very helpful in the effort to thwart Voldemort, if you ask me," she said.

The compartment was utterly and completely silent and motionless for a moment. Sirius spoke first.

"You know you just said You-Know-Who's name, right?" he asked. Aria noted that he was able to raise one eyebrow perfectly well.

Her cheeks grew red. She was used to not thinking twice about saying Voldemort's name, even if many people she knew had not quite progressed to that level of comfort with the new order of things. "Well, I–" she started, trying not to get too flustered. "I just–" she tried again. "Yeah," she finished lamely.

The three boys were still eyeing her carefully, and while Peter looked scared out of his wits, James and Sirius looked rather more interested than anything else. "Any particular reason for that?" James asked.

Aria thought for a moment about how best to explain her nonchalance when it came to the Dark Lord's full name, and stumbled upon a memory of something someone had said to her long ago, a second- or third-hand quote. "Fear of a name," she said tentatively, "only increases fear of the thing itself." This revelation gave her the courage to continue. "Referring to him as You-Know-Who only perpetuates the universal fear that he is trying so hard to maintain. Calling him by his proper name seems one of the easiest ways to undermine his plans." She ended with a tentative shrug, but her voice was confident enough.

James and Sirius looked at each other for a split second, as though silently communicating with one another, before they broke into grins.

"That," James said slowly, "is one of the most brilliant things I've ever heard." Peter, who had still looked terrified until James had spoken, quickly changed his expression to a smile and nodded enthusiastically.

"Most definitely," Sirius agreed. "Vol-de-mort," he said slowly, savoring each syllable as it left his throat. "Ruddy brilliant."

"Voldemort," James repeated, still grinning. "I like it. Not quite as satisfying as jinxing Snape and his cronies, but it's definitely up there." Peter looked around nervously, wondering if it was his turn to say the name, but Remus saved him the trouble by opening the compartment door and entering. His back was facing the inhabitants of the compartment, and he was nodding at Lily Evans.

"Yeah, alright, Lily. Just come and get me when it's my turn," he said.

"Okay," Lily said brightly. "You should probably try and get a quick nap in during my turn," she instructed. "You're looking a bit peakish."

Remus offered a small, good-natured smile as he shut the compartment door and sat down next to Peter. "Yes," he said to himself, "that does tend to happen around this time of month." Sirius' eyes widened, and he turned to look at Aria, who was staring out the window intently. Quickly, the three other boys caught on, and each began gazing at Aria as well. With a start, Aria turned to face them.

"Oh, hello again, Remus. Silly me, I must have been daydreaming and didn't realize that you'd come back in," she said cheerily. The four boys let out a collective sigh and Sirius met Remus' eyes in a sort of 'watch-what-you-say' warning.

Remus nodded almost imperceptibly, and responded to Aria. "Yes, I do my best to escape the Prefects' meeting as quickly as possible. They're mainly a bunch of do-gooders try to out-do-good each other, and I always feel a tad out of place, what with this bunch of delinquents I run 'round with," he said, smiling affectionately at his friends. "Unfortunately, though, my duty's not quite finished for the day. Right now, Lily is patrolling the corridors, but after an hour or so it becomes my turn," he explained.

Aria nodded sympathetically, trying to keep her mind off of her own Prefect's badge, sitting hidden at the bottom of her trunk. Dumbledore had advised her to dispose of it, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to part with one of the few remaining links to the life she knew.

There was a lull in the conversation that resulted in several minutes of silence. Aria was lost in thought about her past, and the boys were each thinking of things they wouldn't dare discuss with Aria present, including but not limited to the next week's adventure and their next ambush of Severus Snape. Finally, Peter, who had mostly been switching his gaze from James to Sirius, spoke up.

"So, do you suppose this will be the Chudley Cannons' turnaround year?" he asked earnestly. Everyone in the compartment burst out laughing, even Aria, who was well aware of the Cannons' longstanding place at the bottom of the Quidditch league. Quidditch carried the conversation well until Lily came to inform Remus that his shift was starting. Remus nodded obligingly and stood to leave.

"I'll be on duty until we arrive, so I'll see you lot back at the castle. Don't just abandon Aria, alright? We wouldn't want her to get lost, and I know how distracted you all can get," he smiled and winked at Aria before exiting the compartment. Lily lingered in the doorway, eyeing Aria.

"Hello, there," she said pleasantly. "I'm Lily Evans."

"Aria Bennett," she responded with a smile. "This is my, uh, first year here."

"She's transferred from Salem in the U.S.," James added helpfully, watching Lily hopefully for any sign of approval.

"She's in Sixth Year with us," Sirius continued, "and Gryffindor!"

"She can also," Aria interjected, "speak for herself. But they did get the basics," she conceded, smiling.

Lily was momentarily torn between interest in the newcomer and her extreme distaste for James Potter. In the end, her curiosity won out, and she took a seat next to Peter. "So what brings you to Hogwarts?"

Aria shifted uncomfortably at the question. She had not fully come to terms with the truth or the lie. She took a deep breath and answered. "Well, I was basically raised by my brother after my parents died when I was eight," she started. True. "He worked for the Ministry" – True – "in the Department of International Magical Cooperation" – True – "and was, uh, a Magical Ambassador to the United States" – False. "He lived in the U.S during the, uh, school year for his job, so I stayed there with him, and he, uh, enrolled me in Salem." False, False, False. "He's… Well, he's gone now" – True – "so Dumbledore and I decided it would be best if I finished out my academic career here at Hogwarts." True.

Lily nodded sympathetically, and the three boys looked appropriately somber. "And did Sirius say you're a Gryffindor?" Lily asked, trying to move away from the sad subject.

"Yes," Aria affirmed. "Dumbledore visited me over the summer and, uh, Sorted me," she said.

"Well done, you'll love it. It'll be nice to have that fifth bed filled," Lily said happily. "We've only eight Gryffindors in our year, four girls and four boys, so there's always been an empty bed in the girls' dormitory," she explained. "I'm sure we'll all get along famously, they're lovely girls." Lily looked down at her watch. "Well, Mary and the others are expecting me in the other compartment. It was great meeting you, Aria. I'll see you up at the castle!" Lily promptly stood and left the compartment, closing the door behind her.

"Alright, there, Prongs, you can stop drooling now," Sirius laughed. James' cheeks tinged red, but he ignored his friend and quickly chose a new topic of conversation.

"So, did you take your O.W.L.s at Salem? How is that working?"

"Oh, uh, no, I didn't," Aria answered. "But I took similar subjects, and Dumbledore gave me a sort of informal assessment, and judged that it would be acceptable for me to continue on in my preferred areas of study," she explained. It was true enough; she'd ended up in this time before the results of her O.W.L.s had arrived, but Dumbledore had decided that she could matriculate into Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, and Arithmancy without retaking the grueling exams, for which she was infinitely grateful.

James asked her about her subjects, and the conversation naturally progressed until the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop at Hogsmeade Station. Cursing, Sirius noted that they had not yet changed into their robes. The boys waited outside as Aria quickly changed, and then she did the same for them. The boys emerged fully dress just as the train came to a halt.

"Come on, then, Aria," Sirius said, "you heard Remus. We aren't to let you out of our sight." He slung an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the platform. Aria laughed.

"I'm not sure that he meant it was necessary for you to physically assault me," she said lightheartedly, flashing him a smile and ducking out from under his arm.

"I'm just a very physical being," he chuckled, throwing his arm back around her as they walked towards the carriages to take them back to Hogwarts. He put his other arm around James' shoulders. "It's like if I'm not touching you, you're not there. Hey, where's Peter?" he asked, looking around in fake confusion.

"I'm right here!" Peter exclaimed from right in front of Sirius, not understanding the joke. Sirius shook his head, but didn't bother to explain it to him.

"Know what's pulling these things?" James asked Aria impishly as they approached an empty carriage.

"Thestrals," she said, without a second thought. James looked at her, befuddled.

"Can you see them?" he asked.

"Er- no," she answered truthfully. "But everyone knows that Thestrals pull the Hogwarts carriages," she said. James still looked puzzled.

"I'm pretty sure they don't…" he replied, glancing at Sirius.

"Oy, you lot!" Sirius yelled at a bunch of Fourth Years boarding one of the carriages. "What's pulling these things?"

"Magic, you dolt," one of them replied, earning a high-five from his friend.

"Good job, now clear out. This is ours." The Fourth Years exchanged meaningful looks before deciding that they would rather find another coach than tangle with the Marauders and going on their way.

"Yeah, Aria, almost no one knows about the Thestrals," James said. "How could you possibly know?"

Aria was suddenly very uncomfortable as she took her seat in the carriage. Of course the Thestrals weren't common knowledge yet. She had to be more careful.

"Oh," she said, "I just assumed. Dumbledore, uh, explained how the train ride and the journey to the castle would go," she explained nervously after some very quick thinking. "He, uh, mentioned the Thestrals, I just assumed it was common knowledge."

James still looked skeptical, but accepted her answer. The coach jolted forward and began moving up to the castle. Aria watched the landscape pass in the dark, awkwardly avoiding James' eyes. The trees were smaller, the grass less invasive. There were fewer lily pads at the edge of the Black Lake, and the Whomping Willow was barely recognizable as the dangerous giant tree-beast that Aria had known.

Peter was looking out the window as well. "I bet that Salem's not near this pretty," he said proudly, watching Aria expectantly for her reaction.

She smiled in response, not averting her gaze. "Nothing could be this beautiful," she replied softly. The remaining few minutes of the ride passed in silence. Aria stared out her window longingly as James watched Aria, scrutinizing. Peter was staring intently at James, waiting for any sign of conversation or recognition, intermittently glancing at Sirius in similar hopes. Sirius, too, was watching Aria, trying to decide how he felt about the newcomer.

Remus caught up with them as they got out of the stationary carriage, retelling his encounter with a group of Third Year Slytherins that had ambushed him during his patrol with several dungbombs and low-level hexes. He told the story with surprising animation, considering the bags under his eyes and his overall exhausted demeanor.

Aria sat down with the boys at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, trying to ignore the increasingly prevalent stares she was receiving as she was noticed as a stranger by more and more students. Lily, several seats away, was pointing her out to the girls she was sitting with, likely the other Sixth Years.

Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the center of the head table. He simultaneously flicked his wand and cleared his throat, his eyes sparkling. The grand doors at the front of the Great Hall flew open, and Professor McGonagall led in a group of anxious First Years. "Let the Sorting begin," Dumbledore announced, promptly retaking his seat.


	3. Settling In

[A/N] I've finally returned! I told you I would, eventually! High school is over for me, so I will try and find more time to write over the summer. This chapter was written over the span of a couple weeks, so it's not as heavily edited as I would like, and the end of the chapter is (to me) a little unsatisfying, but I was so excited to get an update out that I decided to let it go. I may edit it eventually, we'll just have to see. Hopefully the next chapter will not take another nine months to update... heh. Anyway. Enjoy! :] - Kate

* * *

2. Settling In

The first night, she dreamed of Rowan.

In the dream it was a clear and cloudless day, artificially bright, and Rowan was towering over her, smiling fondly. He must have been nineteen – a year out of Hogwarts – meaning Aria was eight. It was just before the attack.

Rowan was Aria's own personal superhero. He had been a perfect older brother when she was eight. He doted on her; sending sweets and presents to her from his flat in the city to the family home in Surrey and visiting as often as possible. He took her to a park down the street from the house, like the one in her dream, and pushed her on the swings and chased her around the play equipment, laughing with the pure joy he felt in life.

They were at the park they day of the attack, maybe the day from the dream. It was their parents' anniversary, and Rowan had volunteered to babysit her so they could have some "alone time". He was going to take her to get ice cream after she was finished playing. She was swinging when the cloaked figures flew by, and then the shouting started, and then lights started flashing, and some explosions. Rowan grabbed her arm so she wouldn't run home, and hugged her into his body so she wouldn't see.

But her dream wasn't so morose. Dream Rowan was just standing there, smiling down at her.

She woke to the sound of her roommates getting ready for the day, tears glistening in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped the tears away and pulled open her bed curtains to dress herself and go to breakfast.

* * *

Remus had saved Aria a seat at breakfast, which she gratefully took. Meeting her fellow roommates had been a relatively painless process, but they were notably less fun than the Marauders, and remembering all the details of her new life was wearisome.

James and Sirius were in the midst of a heated argument in hushed voices, and Peter was listening intently. Aria gave Remus a quizzical look, and he gave her a knowing smile.

"Dissent in the ranks," he explained. "There is some disagreement regarding the big back-to-school prank." Aria nodded, smiling softly and reaching for a piece of toast.

"What," she asked, buttering a piece of toast, "they're debating the effectiveness of dungbombs versus stink pellets to throw into the Slytherin common room?" James and Sirius both froze, turning to look at her.

"Oy," Sirius said incredulously, "how did you guess that?"

"Well it's not particularly creative, now is it?" Aria teased lightly.

"Well then what would you suggest, Salem?" James asked, his tone a bit more biting than Sirius' had been.

Aria took a bite of her toast and considered. Obviously, she would have gone straight to Weasley's, but that clearly "I would probably sneak some Bulbadox Powder into the Slytherin laundry."

James blinked. Sirius laughed. "That's good, Prongs, you have to admit." James nodded, slowly breaking out into a grin.

"It's bloody brilliant, is what it is. Brava, Aria," he said. She smiled and turned back to her food, and James and Sirius began to enthusiastically plan their attack.

"You really shouldn't give them such good ideas," Remus chuckled. "They'll come asking you all the time."

Aria shrugged. "I only get a good one every now and again, so they'll likely be disappointed."

"So what is your schedule like for today?" Remus asked, pulling out his own to examine. "I've got Herbology and Transfiguration this morning, then Charms and Defense Against the Dark Art in the afternoon."

Aria grabbed her schedule from her bag, comparing it to Remus'. "I've the same, except with a free morning, as I'm not taking Herbology. It's the same on Wednesdays."

"Excellent," Remus said. "The rest of this lot is the same as me, but Sirius doesn't have Herbology, same as you."

"Because it's bloody useless," Sirius raised his voice to say with a grin, not looking away from James or breaking the cadence of their conversation. Aria and Remus smiled and turned back to their schedules to look at the next day's classes.

Lily slid into the seat on Aria's other side, and the other three Gryffindor girls, whose names Aria now knew to be Mary MacDonald, Jessica Sinks, and Charlotte Randall, filled in. James suddenly stopped talking again and looked over at her.

"Morning, Evans," he called. Lily raised an eyebrow at him but didn't humor him with a response, so he continued. "We were just looking at our class schedules. What's your day look like?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, Potter. Go back to whatever you were doing before I came in, please."

Sirius said something to James under his breath that warranted a punch in the shoulder, which only caused Sirius to laugh. James sulked and picked at the rest of the eggs on his plate, going sullenly silent.

Sirius turned his attention away from his brooding best friend and turned to Aria and Remus.

"So, Aria, did I hear that we have the morning off together?" he asked, flashing his cheeky grin. Aria smiled back coyly and nodded. "Well, how would you feel about a tour of the grounds? I'm one of the few that can show you the more, ahem, intimate details of Hogwarts," he said with a wink.

Aria took a moment to giggle at him, using the valuable few seconds to remember why in the world she would need a tour of the Hogwarts grounds. Remembering suddenly, she tried not to stop laughing too abruptly. "That would be wonderful, Sirius. I, uh, barely made it down for breakfast this morning!" Then, noticing James watching her carefully, "Did you know that the staircases move?"

Sirius laughed theatrically. "Oh, dear new girl. You'll learn the ways of the castle soon enough. With me as your guide, you'll know which doors are doors and which are just walls pretending to be doors, and how to steal into the kitchens for a midnight snack, and which rooms are most beneficial for hiding from professors and prefects!"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "What, Padfoot, are you just going to teach her all our little secrets?"

"In time, dear Moony, if she proves herself worthy, of course." He added another wink, for good measure.

"Well I thank you for your gallantry, good sir, and hopefully I will prove myself, er, _worthy_ of all you have to teach me," Aria replied with a grin.

"Padfoot! I have a question!" Peter called across the table in a loud whisper.

"Excuse me, dear lady," Sirius said to Aria. "What can I do for you, Wormtail?"

As Sirius turned away, Lily turned towards Aria. "You really shouldn't encourage him, you know. He's a nice enough guy, I suppose, but he's a bit of a heartbreaker."

Aria smiled winningly at the redhead. "Aye, but so am I. And personally, I see no harm in playing along, for a laugh." Lily shrugged but still looked disapproving. Then Aria could have sworn that she'd stolen a glance at James, who was gloomily pushing his eggs around on his plate, but the green eyes had found something new to look at before Aria could be sure.

Remus glanced at his tattered wristwatch and took one last sip of his pumpkin juice. "We'd better be off to class," he said, standing and gathering his bag. James stood shortly afterwards, glancing longingly at Lily before striding out of the Great Hall. Peter followed hurriedly after him and Remus brought up the rear.

When they were out of sight, Lily patted her napkin against her lips and stood. "We should be off as well. We'll see you later, Aria," she said, and then she and their other three dorm mates left.

Aria turned to Sirius. "So," she said brightly, "where do we start?"

* * *

"…and here we are," Sirius said grandly, about half an hour later. "The best view of the grounds in the entire castle." He and Aria leaned against the edge of the railings. "See, there," he pointed, "the Black Lake, and over there's the Forbidden Forrest. You can just make out the Quidditch Pitch in the distance. There's the Whomping Willow, you haven't had the pleasure of meeting it yet. A real pleasure, I assure you."

"Well with a moniker like the 'Whomping Willow' I expect nothing less," Aria said with a chuckle.

"And the guys are over there in the Greenhouses. And that tree, just there, in the courtyard, is the best spot to sit on a sunny day."

Aria smiled, and the two fell into silence for a while, taking in the view.

"It's pretty magnificent, isn't it?" Sirius asked after several minutes, all theatrics gone for the moment.

Aria nodded. "It's like being completely at peace." And for her, it was. From this height, the view looked almost the same as it would twenty-four years later, and she could almost forget her current situation.

"This is my home," Sirius said. "I'm sure you'll here about it sometime, but I don't have an exactly ideal family life." He gave a short, bitter laugh.

Aria looked up at him, wondering what she could say. She knew about his home life, sure, but she couldn't tell him that. "Yeah, I, uh, remember the others saying something about you getting a flat?" She thought that was sufficient.

Sirius nodded, not taking his eyes off the view. It was hard to see him so somber. "Long story short, my parents were never my biggest fans. The practically disowned me when I was put in Gryffindor, and really disowned me last year. I lived with James' family for the holidays, but one of my uncles left me some money when he died, which I used for the flat. But nothing will ever compare to this, not for me."

Aria looked out again, tears welling in her eyes. She had the sudden urge to spill her story to Sirius, who she was sure had very few moments as vulnerable as this one, and she clenched her jaw to prevent herself from talking.

Sirius snapped out of it as Aria sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I just-" she said, swallowing her tears. "I guess I know how you feel. Coming here was just, uh, really hard on me. I had to, uh, leave my home." She sniffed again, and Sirius patted her on the back. Rubbing her eyes again, she put a smile back on. "But I'll be okay, with great guides like you and Remus."

Sirius grinned. "Well, obviously."

"We should probably head back down, shouldn't we? Doesn't Transfiguration start soon?"

Sirius glanced at his watch. "Yes, I suppose. I need to start the year off as though I'm not a nuisance. You know, ingratiate myself to the professors and such, so they'll be more lenient later," he said with a wink. "This way."

They had exited the tower and were chatting amiably when Sirius suddenly froze, putting a finger up to his lips. Aria went silent, and heard footsteps approaching, accompanied by muttering. "Ruddy children… Can't even wait one day before breaking the rules… Hang them by their toes…"

Sirius grabbed Aria's wrist and pulled her down a nearby staircase and into a small cupboard. They were pressed tightly together, and Sirius was listening intently. After a few minutes, his body relaxed.

"That was Filch," he explained, still quietly. "He's the caretaker here. He's a bloody nightmare. He's always trying to convince Dumbledore to bring back corporal punishment."

Aria smiled. "So is this one of your secret hiding places?" Sirius nodded. "Well I'm honored to now know one of your spots," she said. "But if you're trying to seduce me, may I suggest a bigger room?"

Sirius suddenly noticed how tightly they were crammed into the closet and opened the door. He seemed a little flushed as they stepped out, muttering apologies under his breath. "Sorry, I didn't realize-"

Aria shook her head. "Oh, it's fine. It was just getting hard to breathe in there. And besides, I think we're running late for Transfigurations, I don't even have my books."

Sirius considered for a moment. "I know a shortcut. Just don't let on to the guys that I showed you, okay? It would be this whole thing… I just would rather not get into it yet." Aria nodded.

"Of course, I understand.

"Then follow me." He led her behind a portrait nearby and through a short tunnel. Before she knew it, they were a floor below and a landing over the Gryffindor Tower. They quickly gathered their things and then proceeded to the Transfiguration classroom.

James and Peter were at one table, with a seat saved for Sirius. "Well, that was a good time, Bennett," he said cheerily. "We'll have to continue the tour on Wednesday, when this lot has Herbology again."

"Sounds lovely," Aria replied, flashing a smile and taking the seat Remus had saved her at the table behind them. Lily joined Remus and Aria shortly after, and Mary, Jessica, and Charlotte took the table behind them. Across the room, staring sadly at Lily, was the dark-haired Snape boy James and Sirius had hexed on the train.

McGonagall strode in and Aria automatically straightened up, hands folded on the desk, giving all her attention to the Headmistress. _No,_ she thought, _professor._ She relaxed a little but kept her position. Remus gave her a slightly quizzical look, but Lily didn't notice her behavior.

McGonagall paused briefly noticing her. "You are Aria Bennett, I presume?"

"Yes, Hea-" Aria covered her mistake with of cough. "Yes, Professor."

"Well, I do not know what you have learned at your old school. Just do try and keep up, and if you need any assistance, you have chosen good partners," she instructed.

"Yes, Professor," Aria nodded. This McGonagall had the same stern look that Aria knew in her time, but there were noticeably fewer lines in the look, and her hair was jet black instead of the grey Aria was familiar with.

"Well don't forget us, Professor!" Sirius chimed in, throwing his arm around James. "You know we're as good as Evans and Remus, if not better!" James grinned his agreement.

"Yes, well," Professor McGonagall said, unimpressed. "If Miss Evans or Mr. Lupin cannot help you, by all means consult Messrs. Potter or Black. I would do so sparingly, however, lest some of their less desirable qualities are like to rub off on you."

Sirius put his hand over his chest. "Professor, you wound me!"

McGonagall rolled her eyes and continued to the front of the classroom, where she promptly began the lesson.

* * *

McGonagall was as challenging a teacher as Aria remembered from her First and Second Years, before the Battle at Hogwarts and the Professor's appointment to Headmistress. The students crowded out of the classroom, worn out from the tedious lesson.

Lily rejoined Mary, Jessica, and Charlotte, and Aria hung back with Remus until James, Sirius, and Peter caught up. Severus Snape brushed past them, and approached Lily cautiously.

"Lily," he whispered from the edge of the corridor.

She glanced at him. "Severus," she said coolly, not breaking her stride.

"Can we talk?" He looked so pathetic that Aria felt bad for him.

"I'm not interested in what you have to say, Severus. I told you every day this summer, and I'd like to not have to tell you every day this term," she replied, quickening her pace.

James drew his wand and stepped in front of the group, ready to strike if Lily looked like she needed assistance.

"I told you, it was just an accident… I didn't mean it…" he whispered.

Lily glared at him. "Well maybe you should learn to think before you speak." She whipped around to glare at James. "And you put that wand away, Potter, I don't need any help from you, stop volunteering it." With that, she and her friends turned down a different corridor and walked briskly away.

Severus watched her go, his face covered in anguish. James turned to him, wand still raised. Sirius joined him and lazily drew his as well. "You heard Evans," James snapped. "Leave her alone, Snivelly."

Snape reached for his wand, but James had hit him with a spell already.

Peter watched intently, and Remus looked bored. Aria didn't feel good about the whole situation. She reached forward and put her hand on Sirius' arm. He whirled around, wand at her throat before he knew what he was doing.

"Padfoot, careful!" Remus scolded as Sirius realized who had touched him. The steel disappeared from his eyes and he lowered his wand, smiling bashfully.

"Sorry," he muttered, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Instinct."

Aria shrugged. "It's alright. Can we maybe just go to lunch though?

Sirius glanced back at James, who had rendered Snape immobile and turned to see what was happening.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "I'm rather hungry, anyway. Come on Prongs, let's go."

"But there isn't even anyone around!" James protested. "We rarely get opportunities like this, Padfoot!"

Sirius gave him a pointed look, and James lowered his wand, cursing under his breath. Sirius turned his gaze to Snape. "Consider this a reprieve, Snivelly. Come on, James." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder to get him to move.

James left first, steaming from having his fun cut short. Peter followed, then Remus. Sirius grabbed Aria's wrist and they joined the others. Aria looked back to give a sad sort of smile to Snape, who returned only a blank stare.

* * *

The rest of the day went by without incident. Aria recognized Professor Flitwick in Charms, but did not know Professor Birchgrove in Defense Against the Dark Arts. During class, Remus leaned to whisper that Birchgrove was new this year; the year before it had been Professor Kiddell, and before that Professor Oakby. In fact, he told her, they had had a different Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year since they had been there.

Lily continued taking the third seat beside Remus and Aria, and the routine continued into the rest of the week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she had Double Potions in the mornings with everyone, Ancient Runes with Lily and Remus in the afternoon, and Arithmancy with Lily, Remus, Sirius, James, and Charlotte after that.

A couple of weeks past, and Aria began to settle in to her new life. Sirius still took her on adventures around the castle every Monday and Wednesday morning, although there were no more run-ins with Filch. She grew closest to Remus, and the pair usually did their homework together in the evenings, occasionally joined by Lily, or Peter when he needed help.

If Sirius and James picked on Snape any more, Aria managed to not be around while it happened, and was happy in her ignorance. All in all, 1976 began to feel like home to Aria, though she still woke up crying most mornings after dreaming of her brother.


	4. Realizations

[A/N] SUCCESS! AN UPDATE THAT DIDN'T TAKE NINE MONTHS! HUZZAH! Again, I'm uploading this without really editing it, as I'm less interested in grammar and more in content at the moment. Please enjoy! Hopefully the next update will be nearly as expedient as this one! :] - Kate

* * *

3. Realizations

By the third week, Aria had more or less mastered her role in this time. Most notably, she no longer accidentally referred to Professor McGonagall as Headmistress, which Aria took as a sign that she was truly becoming a part of her new life. Additionally, she had now been at the castle long enough that Remus or Sirius one didn't insist on going everywhere with her to make sure she knew the way.

On the third Monday, Aria took her now-usual spot beside Remus and across from Sirius at breakfast. Peter had not come down yet, and James looked decidedly perturbed, stabbing at the sausage on his plate but not eating any of it. Sirius and Remus were ignoring their morose friend, wrapping up a rather animated conversation as Aria joined them.

"Good morning," Aria greeted them, earning a smile from Remus and Sirius and no response from James. "Alright, James?" she asked, reaching for a piece of toast.

James grumbled under his breath but didn't look up, and Sirius chuckled. "Oh, you know Prongs," he said. "It's always one Evans drama or another, isn't it?"

Remus smiled sympathetically at his friend. "Lily must have been in a bad mood this morning," he explained. "James bid her good morning and she, er, sort of started screaming at him. I can't really remember the details," he said vaguely, scratching the back of his neck.

Sirius laughed. "I can, mate, she went on about – _OW_, Moony, that hurt!" he shouted, reaching down to rub his knee. Remus glanced pointedly at James, giving Sirius a silent, '_You prat, you'll only make it worse,'_ glare. Sirius took the hint and finished quietly, looking at his plate. "She went on about him, er, being an immature prat who will, uh, never change. Or something like that. And then she sort of stormed out."

Aria gave a little grimace, as she knew that Lily could be unpleasant when she was angry. "Well," she said awkwardly, "I'm sure she'll come around. You know, eventually."

The group silently picked at their breakfasts for a time, until Sirius jolted up, looking as though he'd just had a brilliant idea.

"Oy, Aria," he said, "you're a girl!"

Remus nearly choked on his juice before descending into a fit of laughter. Aria rolled her eyes with a grin, and even James had to smile.

"Yes, well done, Sirius. Took you this long do notice, did it?" she teased.

"Yeah – well, no – but I just thought… Well, you're a girl, so you can help James understand how to get Lily to like him!" James looked up hopefully, and Remus seemed interested, but skeptical.

Aria was apprehensive, thinking of things she knew and the others did not. "Look, I'm not sure I'm the best person to help you with that. I don't even really know Lily that well, nor James…"

"Yes, but your insight would still be helpful," Sirius insisted. "We've been trying to figure it out for years, but we're all blokes, so we really haven't got a clue!"

"Yeah, please, Aria?" James asked. "Regardless of how helpful you feel you'll be, it would be nice to have a female perspective on the matter," he said.

Aria looked at Remus pleadingly, hoping he could somehow get her out of this, but he just shrugged. She sighed, pondering. The first thought she had was of the glance Lily had taken at James at breakfast the first day. Come to think, Aria was fairly certain she had seen several such glances, both at meals and in classes. They couldn't be considered fond, but nor were they glares.

"I think..." she started, locking eyes with James. "I believe she's interested." James' eyes brightened. "But," she said quickly, "she's serious about your, er, low maturity level. If you really want her to consider dating you, I think you just need to calm down. Play less pranks, hex less people, be less disruptive, and – this above all – _stop badgering her_. It isn't pleasant to have someone constantly in your face, that's annoying, and girls generally don't care to date annoying boys. So there it is," she finished. "Calm down and back off."

The boys all sat silently for a moment, taking it in. Aria fidgeted nervously, wondering if they thought she was being useful or just crazy.

"Well, that's basically what I've been saying for years, isn't it?" Remus said dryly, looking at James.

James nodded. "Yes, but never before has it made so much sense," he said earnestly. "So really all I have to do is calm down, and Lily will like me?" he asked Aria eagerly.

"Er, well I'm not guaranteeing anything here," she said cautiously. "It's just advice…"

James shrugged, grinning. "Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose."

Just then, a rush of owls flew into the Great Hall to deliver the morning mail. Aria liked to watch them fly past, knowing she would not get any mail. James received a large care package from his parents, and fondly stroked the tawny owl that delivered it before the bird flew away again.

An owl near the end of the wave landed in front of Sirius with a package that was a bit smaller than James'. Sirius groaned. "No, Orpha, this isn't mine," he snapped, but the owl simply gave a small hoot and flew away. "Stupid bloody bird," he growled, standing up and yanking the package off the table.

Aria watched him march down the row to the next table over. He set the package down – gingerly, Aria noticed, which surprised her due to his perceived level of frustration – in front of a tall, thin, black-haired boy that looked rather like him. They calmly exchanged a few words, and then Sirius turned around and walked back.

Instead of sitting, he picked up his bag. "James," he said, jerking his head towards the door. James nodded, grabbing his own bag and getting up. "Aria, I'll meet you in the Common Room in a bit," he said, rather gruffly. The two walked out without another word.

Aria looked quizzically at Remus. "That's Regulus," he explained, "Sirius' brother. He's a year below us. The Black family owl still gets them confused sometimes."

"Oh," Aria replied softly, pondering the exchange. "He acted rather strangely about it, don't you think?"

Remus shrugged. "Regulus is sort of the golden child, while Sirius is the black sheep, so they've always had a rivalry, but it's more complicated than that. Sirius and his brother… They have a lot of animosity towards one another, but there's also a layer of affection… Neither of them believes the other is past saving."

Aria still wasn't really sure what he meant, so she waited for him to continue. Remus sighed. "Sirius' family is one that thinks being Pureblood is more important than anything. Is that as big a deal in America?"

"Er…" Aria said, her mind blank. "Yes. A bit."

"Well Regulus shares their views, whilst Sirius does not. But Sirius still feels that Regulus might come around and realize that he's being a prick, and that Pureblood mania is a farce. And Regulus still has hope that Sirius will renounce his blood traitor ways and rejoin the family. When they must interact, they do so cordially, as you just witnessed, but it always puts Sirius in a terrible mood."

Aria nodded, beginning to understand. She nibbled at the hot cakes on her plate as Peter slid in beside Remus, looking rather haggard.

"Overslept," he grumbled as an explanation, piling his plate with food.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Aria arrived in the Common Room to meet up with Sirius. He was sitting in the comfy armchair by the fire, still looking decidedly irritated. He glanced up as she entered.

"So," he said, his voice rough, "how do you feel about skiving off the whole day today? I thought I could take you down to Hogsmeade."

Aria considered this apprehensively. "I don't know about that, Sirius," she said. "It's only the third week of school; isn't it a little early to be ditching?"

He shrugged. "I just don't think I want to be in the castle today."

"Well then let's go out to the grounds," she suggested. "You can show me that tree you pointed out weeks ago, and we can sit. And if you still want to go to Hogsmeade when it's time for Transfiguration, we can reconsider. Alright?" She smiled and grabbed his wrist, pulling him out of the chair.

Sirius gave a grunt of consent, allowing himself to be pulled out of Gryffindor Tower.

It was a very lovely day out. The weather was still warm, with the only hint of chill in the occasional light breeze. The dew from the morning was just disappearing from the tips of the grass, and the first of the leaves were turning for autumn. Aria still had Sirius by the wrist, making a beeline for the tree he had pointed out from the Astronomy Tower.

"This is the one, right?" she asked brightly as they reached it. Sirius humored her with a shadow of a smile and conjured a blanket for them to sit on.

"Aye, you found it," he said, collapsing onto the blanket. Aria sat lightly next to him. "We should have stopped by the kitchens for a snack," he commented.

"We only just came from breakfast," she pointed out with a smile. "But it is nice weather for a picnic. Maybe we should come out here for lunch!" she suggested.

Sirius shrugged. "If we aren't in Hogsmeade," he added.

Aria shrugged. "Yes, well. We'll see, won't we?"

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Aria took the opportunity to lie down, stretching out on the soft scarlet blanket and basking in the sun.

Sirius sighed. "I suppose Remus would have told you something about Regulus?"

Aria nodded. She opened her eyes to look at Sirius, but he wasn't facing her. "He said Regulus adheres to your parents' twisted viewpoints, and that you and your brother aren't friendly… but that you don't really hate each other, either. And he said interacting with him always puts you in a terrible mood," she added at the end, with a soft, knowing smile. She closed her eyes again and waited for him to respond. Aria knew it would be best from him to talk himself through it, and that she would be the most helpful just for listening.

"That more or less covers it," he said with a nod. "Reg just doesn't understand what this means, he's always been a bit of a dolt. He's stupid enough to believe that our mum and dad are in the right. It's their fault for treating him like the sun shines out his bum, really. Ever since we were children, they knew that Regulus was the perfect one and I was the disappointment," he said bitterly. Now that he'd gotten himself talking, he realized how much he needed to say all of this. "They coddled him and doted on him and left me well alone. Bugger me how they figured out that I wasn't like them so quickly… As a kid I remember trying everything to appease them, to get them to look at me like they looked at Reg.

"Whatever they suspected bloody well cemented itself when I came here. Of course the first friend I made was a Potter, and then I was put in Gryffindor…. They didn't like that much; they wrote dozens of letters to the school, demanding I be Sorted again. Then the next year, Reg came along and is put directly in Slytherin, and from then it was like I didn't even exist. It all just went to his head, of course, and he became more of a pompous ass than he was before… We had these nameplates on the doors of our rooms, see, that just said 'Sirius' and 'Regulus', but suddenly that wasn't even good enough for him. He insisted that he get one with his full name on it. Regulus Arcturus Black," he scoffed.

Aria jolted upright, her eyes open wide. "R.A.B.," she muttered to herself.

"What's that?" Sirius asked. "Are you alright?"

Aria was trying to calm down, but her heart rate had nearly doubled. She slowed her breathing to keep from hyperventilating. Everything she knew about the Second Wizarding War was now swirling around in her brain, everything she'd read in the post-Battle at Hogwarts articles, and the things that Rowan had filled in for her, about R.A.B. and the Horcruxes and Severus Snape and all the deaths and Peter Pettigrew's betrayal. Everything was clicking into place: where she was, who these people are, the role they all played in the future…

"Aria, can you hear me?" Sirius asked, growing more concerned by the second. Aria was sitting, frozen, breathing slowly and deeply and looking straight ahead. He glanced around to see if he thought anyone had cursed her, but there was no one outside but themselves. "Aria?"

Aria shook her head to snap herself out of it and turned to Sirius, trying to smile. "Sorry about that," she said, standing up. She mentally jumped on the first excuse that came to mind. "I just, uh, remembered, that I forgot to do a bit of, um, Transfiguration work. Can we go back to the dormitories? Would you mind? I, uh, really need to finish it before class."

"Er, sure," he said, standing up and vanishing the blanket he had conjured. Aria was already hurrying toward the castle. Sirius almost had to jog to keep up with her.

Sirius grabbed her shoulder when they reached the Common Room to keep her from disappearing up the stairs. She was still wide-eyed and stiff, her mind reeling.

"Are you sure you're alright, Aria? It isn't that I… I didn't freak you out or anything, right? With everything about my family?" He didn't quite meet her eye, as if he was afraid of what her reply would be.

Aria broke out of her stupor immediately and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Of course not! This has nothing to do with that, Sirius." She gave his hand a squeeze to show that she was sincere. "I'll always be here for you to talk to, about anything," she promised. "Right now I just have to, uh, finish my, uh, Charms homework. Really."

He smiled. "Okay. Thank you, Aria," he said, pulling her in for a hug. "Go finish your work. And hurry," he said, checking his watch. "Class starts in twenty minutes."

She nodded and bounded up the stairs to the Girls' Dormitory, leaving a belatedly puzzled Sirius downstairs to question whether she had Transfiguration work or Charms work to do.

* * *

Aria managed to get through the rest of the day's classes in a satisfactorily normal state. She was rather stiffer than usual, and Sirius and Remus noticed that she was zoning out far more than they were accustomed to, each having to repeat questions on multiple occasions, but overall she made it through. Her head hadn't stopped swimming since Sirius had said Regulus' full name.

Aria had been in her third year at Hogwarts when the final battle of the Second Wizarding War took place. Rowan hadn't wanted her to go back, but he knew that it was the safest place for her. She remembered Professor McGonagall coming to the dormitories to give all the Gryffindors instructions. All wizards and witches who had come of age were welcome to participate in the fighting, if they so chose, but under no circumstances were the younger students to see any action. She put Prefects in charge of getting the younger students out safely through a passageway to the Hog's Head that some of the older students had found out of a room in the castle that was unfamiliar to most everyone.

However, most of the Gryffindor students – Aria among them – had refused to leave, wishing to help, so McGonagall gave each of them assignments; some were lookouts from the tall towers and sent word to the professors of any movements on the grounds, and some sent messages from the Owlery to anyone who could provide help or backup. Aria was among students in the Infirmary, helping the Sixth and Seventh Years that were studying to become Healers tend to anyone they could. It was all very vivid in Aria's memory.

In the aftermath, she had, of course, read all the post-war literature on the defeat of Voldemort, but most of her knowledge came from her brother, who graduated in the same year as and kept in touch with both Charlie Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks. The Daily Prophet told you, for instance, that Severus Snape had been Dumbledore's man all along, but not that he protected Harry Potter for love of his mother, Lily Evans, and none of the articles or books mentioned Voldemort's six Horcruxes, or even the idea of Horcruxes, but Aria had heard it all.

She was going through every detail in her head again and again, trying to piece together the fates of all these people she was getting to know. She could now hardly keep from shuddering every time she saw Peter, thinking of the epic betrayal that killed James and Lily and landed Sirius in Azkaban. She also kept glancing over to the Slytherin table at dinner, comparing the scrawny, greasy-haired Severus Snape to the utterly cold human being she had known in the future, as her Potions professor in First Year, her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Second Year, and her Headmaster in Third Year. Could he really be the same man that she knew, who made – would make? – the greatest possible sacrifice, all for love of the redheaded girl Aria was two seats down from?

It was so surreal. All these people she was becoming friends with were growing up to die. Did she share their fate, now that her life was intertwined with theirs?

She struggled to keep acting normal through the rest of the week, which proved difficult, as her mind was still wandering, and she nearly jumped out of her skin whenever someone surprised her. She left meals as soon as she could to avoid being around Peter, saying that she had to do some research in the library for Ancient Runes.

* * *

By the time Friday rolled around, she was completely frazzled from thinking and overthinking and rethinking and dreaming about everything she knew happened between the years 1976 and 2000.

Aria didn't wake up until lunchtime on Friday. When she went to the Great Hall, Remus was the only Marauder at the table so far. She sat down next to him, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Hello, Aria," he said pleasantly, although he looked as sleepy as she was. "How are you today?"

"Exhausted," she replied, yawning to demonstrate. "It's been a strange week for me."

Remus chuckled. "You have been acting slightly odd. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Aria shook her head. "It's nothing, really. I've just been thinking about, uh, my past a lot lately. You know, my old life. It's just been getting to me."

Remus put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard. But for what it's worth, I'm glad to have you here."

Aria smiled. "Thank you, Remus. That means a lot."

Sirius slid in across from Aria. "Peter and James are right behind me," he said, shoveling food onto his plate. "Prongs seems really excited about something."

Aria contemplated 'going to the library' again, but her stomach grumbled, which put an end to that. She started putting food on her own plate.

In another moment, James and Peter appeared, but didn't take their seats. Both boys were wearing mischievous grins, and James had a lovely, silvery cloak draped over his arm.

"As it's the weekend," James announced grandly, "Wormtail and I thought it would be a nice opportunity to procure some sweets from the village."

Aria smiled. "Honeydukes?"

James looked down at her, a completely puzzled look on his face. "How did you know that?"

Aria's eyes widened. Of course she shouldn't know of Honeydukes, she used to go to Salem. _Salem_. "Oh. Lily, uh, told me about some of the shops in Hogsmeade. Honeydukes, and The Three Broomsticks, and, uh, Scrivenshaft's."

James' eyes remained narrow, but he nodded. "Yes. Well. Who's up for an excursion?" His mischievous grin returned. Sirius and Remus both glanced at Aria. James scratched the back of his neck. "You're, er, welcome to come, of course, Aria."

She smiled, appreciating his invitation, however forced it may have sounded. "No, that's alright. Just bring me back a couple of Chocolate Frogs, if you wouldn't mind."

James smiled, clearly relieved that she had declined, and looked back at the boys.

Remus looked apologetic. "Not this weekend, mate. I haven't been feeling very well, I'd just be a downer," he said. "I'll be glad to go weekend after next, though." No one acknowledged the weekend he skipped.

James frowned, pouting slightly. "That's a scheduled Hogsmeade weekend, that's no fun at all. We'll go another time with you, though, Moony. Padfoot?"

Sirius eyed the cloak James was holding apprehensively. "Look, Prongs," he said, "you know three of us can't fit under the cloak. We're not Third Years anymore."

James glared at his friend. "Oh, come off it. If we all three crouch a bit, we should be fine. And we won't need it except to get into the passageway and out of the basement, it'll be fine."

"Not today, mate. Just go and pick stuff up, and we'll have a right party when you get back, aye? Get some butterbeer as well as sweets, it'll be grand."

James was still not happy with the arrangement, but he nodded. "Whatever you say, killjoy. Come on, Wormtail." He and Peter exited the Great Hall, and Aria let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"He didn't seem particularly happy about that," Aria noted. Sirius and Remus shrugged simultaneously.

"He'll get over it," Sirius said confidently. "So, what are the three of us going to do today?"

* * *

Soon, they were outside under the tree Sirius and Aria had sat by earlier that week. Sirius had conjured another blanket, and the three were playing Exploding Snap. Remus and Sirius seemed to get particular enjoyment out of the little shriek Aria gave whenever a card exploded, and after only a few rounds they had descended into fits of laughter that rendered them incapable of playing anymore.

Sirius was the first to regain his composure. He grinned broadly at Aria. "It's nice to see you back to normal," he said. "You've been acting strangely all week."

Aria shrugged, and repeated the excuse she had given to Remus.

"Well, you know that if there's anything you want to talk about, we're both here to listen," he insisted. She looked into Sirius' black eyes, and then Remus' blue ones. She pictured Sirius as she had seen him when she was a girl, on wanted posters after he had escaped from Azkaban, and she felt a sort of fire build within her, thinking of Peter.

She took a deep breath, knowing that there was no way to properly explain it to them, but desperately wanting their guidance. "Can I tell you two something crazy? Without you thinking I've gone completely mental?"

Both boys nodded. "We promise not to think you've gone mental," Remus affirmed, looking at her curiously.

"What if I told you that I knew something about the future?" she asked. "That I, uh, had a sort of, um, vision?"

"Well that's common enough," Sirius said. "Still rare, of course, but nothing mental." Remus nodded his agreement.

"Yes, right. Well, So I've had this, uh, vision, and there's this one person in particular that does something terrible. And I know what's going to happen, what he's going to do, and I'm just sitting here, watching him walk around like he's innocent," Aria said.

Sirius blinked. "If it bothers you that much, do something about it."

Aria considered this, a gleam in her eye.


End file.
